One of those creatures was standing a little too close to the little girl curled on the ground. With a bow strung in his hand, I knew where this would be going. She was lying there, helpless on the ground and crying for him not to do it. Crying out for help. Crying for her parents. Crying for me. The creatures were everywhere and yet i could only really focus on one. 

What are they?

We didn't know what they were, where they came from or why they were doing what they were doing. I watched as they fought with people. Rolling black smoke smothered the air and the screams that seemed to be cut off a second too soon. They were nightmares. This was a nightmare. I wished it was. Their movements seemed too graceful- too beautiful to be human. Two groups collided into one big mess on the field next to our village. 

This was wrong. There was supposed to be a celebration of life happening here, not a fight with nightmarish things.

My feet were moving and before I knew it, I was headed straight for the hellish monsters and straight to my death. I ran past mothers screaming for their children and babies wailing for their parents. I was headed towards only one. The creature saw me approaching and nocked an arrow on his bow ready to end on of us. The eyes of my sister grew big and she opened her mouth to scream for help. I had never seen her look so frightened.

"No!" I ran at the creature. Damned was all thoughts and common sense. I landed on top of him- well, on top would be generous. It was more like an intense version of cow tipping. I shoved against his side and we fell to the ground. His surprise didn't last long and he shoved me away in a single motion. I flew a few feet away landing with a hard thump, my breath leaving me on impact. I rolled and turned myself on all fours heaving and running on pure adrenaline. It seemed like I was waiting for the start signal, a sign that I should start moving once more. It blinked or well i think it did and I moved. It was ready and yet I didn't care what he would do to me as long as I kept him away from my sister.

He looked for the bow on the ground that he had dropped not spending much time worrying about the small girl curled next to him. I raced forward and snatched it up just before he grasped it. There was a second of hesitation barely noticeable and yet still there. Maybe he didn't expect me back on my feet or at his side so fast. 

Who knows? I wasn't going to stop him to have a conversation about it. He took several steps back and looked at me stunned. But yet again, it was hard to tell if it was showing real emotions. I saw his hands going to his side. A sword that seemed all but lost to his thoughts appeared in his hand, the razor edge glinting in the light.

He was going to turn me into a very thinly sliced snack. Who knows maybe these things ate us for all we know.

He swung it around a few times and came at me nearly missing my arm. I dropped the arrow in a state of panic as I dodged strike after strike, barely escaping the deadly blade. I didn't know what it was made of but something about it screamed danger. Not just a 'Hey this is sharp stay back' kind of danger more like a 'If it touches you, you will think that breaking you leg twice in a row was a splinter' kind of danger. I would have preferred to be using a blade to cut a cake right now not dodging one trying to cut me. I rolled out of the way as the blade grazed my arm. I couldn't be sure but it felt like it was burning my skin.

I backed up a bit further when I stepped on a lifeline. I glanced down and saw the arrow on the ground. I was glad that my fear had me still clutching onto the bow. One thought took over my mind and I knew- I have one chance.

The creature was looking at me one second and the next he was barreling towards me. I reached down, grabbed the arrow and shot. I wanted to close my eyes and just wait to see the result but I knew it wasn't a game of pin the tail of the donkey and closest one wins a prize. My life depended on it. My sisters life depended on it.

The arrow was in his eye.

I could have screamed from happiness and I nearly did.

Trembling, I stood up and looked at it. His hair was a silvery white and he had pointed ears that curled outwards. This was no means a creature I would willingly spend time around. It was big, inhumanly big. His teeth were sharp and pointed and his eyes... his eyes had been red.

I heard a noise behind me and brandished the bow as a weapon, ready to hit someone if necessary. It wasn't going to do much but have you ever been hit by a stick? It does hurt a bit.

But there wasn't any creatures behind me. There were people standing there with what looked like another human like creature.  Pointed ears and sharp features and distinctly... perfect.

"I didn't know humans could fight that good," spoke the one in front. I couldn't quite place his tone but it screamed to be a bit condescending. But a more important thought popped into my head.

They watched... They had watched and done nothing!

"Couldn't you have helped me?! He could have killed my sister!" I shouted at the onlookers, pointing behind me.

"This was a poor version of a fight," he nodded towards the creature behind me, "Besides even our children can handle them." His tone was belittling and I glared. squeezing the bow until my knuckles turned white.

I walked towards him and slammed the bow into his chest with all my anger before walking away. The only thing I heard was the sound of his laughter.

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Later that week we were told of the elves, dark and light, and the monsters that existed in another world. A parallel plane to ours where they could access gates to come to our world. They had to make themselves known because the other creatures who had entered our world.

Too many for them to handle alone, apparently. Occasionally one or two of the creatures would come through, and humans and elves had worked together in secrecy to dispose of them. Nobody but a few of a secret guard and the king had known, but they had put that away from the rest of the world. This time, more than ever had managed to come through so the elves had followed. They called upon humans to fight in what they determined would be an upcoming war.

The only problem was that not even the elves knew why the creatures were here.